Review: "The Purest Hook" by Scarlett Cole (Contemporary Romance, Suspense)

	The Purest Hook (#3) Scarlett Cole Publisher:St. Martin's Press - Swerve Series: Second Circle Tattoos Books in Series: The Strongest Steel (#1), The Fractured Heart (#2) (affil.) Genre: Contemporary Romance, Suspense Publication Date: May 3, 2016 (Affiliate links)
Description from Publisher: Can a love built on secrets survive? Rugged, hot, and rock hard, Dred Zander is exactly the type of man that normally sends Pixie running. Not dreaming about running her hands down his washboard abs...and lower. The lead singer and guitarist for the band Preload embodies trouble behind his quick smile and guarded eyes, and Pixie left trouble behind her years ago along with the name Sarah Jane Travers and the pathetic trailer her mom called home. With her abusive past in her past, she has a new life, a new family at Second Circle, and a dream of opening her own business. She needs capital and time. What she doesn't need is a tempting long-haired rocker or the paparazzi that follow him around. But Dred has other ideas. Pixie's sweet hazel eyes, purple hair and kaleidoscopic tattoo of exotic flowers that swirl up her arm haunt his dreams, and he knows she wants him too. He just has to convince her. But as a juicy exposé threatens to expose their pasts, and a blackmailer terrorizes their present, Pixie and Dred have to decide what really matters and fight like hell to keep it.
My Rating:	Sexiness Rating:
I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.com for an honest, unbiased review. My opinion is my own. I'm going to start this by saying that the book cover, the names of the characters, and the setting of this are all very fitting for the theme and tone of this story. If you have seen the cover and read the synopsis, you will get a very good idea of the tone of the novel (read: If you're looking for light and fluffy romance, this is not the book for you.) I appreciated the fact that this had main characters who had truly devastating pasts that game them believable issues to overcome. Though, in ways, this did overly intense so that it bordered on depressing. Basically every character was SO haunted by their pasts, all the time. I feel that the pacing was slowed by the heavy backstories, and the characters almost consumed. But I liked this. The writing was solid, and the broken characters well-written. Their problems aren't glossed over, or easily fixed, and they realize that they need to fix themselves before they can move on and be happy in a relationship. I think my favorite parts are between Dred and his bandmates, and later those "tough guys" and little Petal. The chemistry between Dred and Pixie was definitely there, and the steamy scenes sexy. The rules they come up with, almost "safe words," are worked in perfectly and I think add a depth to their relationship. Pixie being a virgin was fine, but I admit that his desire to devirginize her so quickly bordered on the unsexy side. There are some intense scenes in this one, and the drama surrounding them was something I found predictable, but it was enjoyable none-the-less. I thought it was a very solid love story.